George Nakshima (1905-1990) architect,woodworker,artist George
Nakashima was born in Spokane Washington in 1905/ B.A. architecture
University of Washington/ Master's from MIT in 1930/Prix Fontainebleau
from L'Ecole Americaine des Beaux Arts in France.
Through the
sponsorship of Antonin Raymond, Nakashima came to work on his farm in
Bucks County Pa. He then purchased a parcel of land where he designed
and built his workshop and studio. The property now has 14 buildings on
a south facing slope, landscaped by Nakashima. The Showroom was
built in 1954, the Conoid Studio in 1957, Mingruen Museum in 1956, and
the Reception House in 1976. The Conoid Studio roof was an experimental
reinforced concrete shell, the Mingruen Museum roof is a plywood
hyperbolic paraboloid shell. There are other similar structures on the
property illustrating his skill and fascination with thin-shell
construction. *bio material from www.nakshimawoodworker.com
website*
Index to MODERN HOMES PHILADELPHIA History Pages
Overview of Philadelphia Area Mid-Century Modern Residential Architecture(below on this page)Photo overviewfollowed by brief written overview of Philadelphia mid-century architects .
Time Lineof area modern homes from 1930's to todayMid-Century Modern Homes Architects Who Designed Mid-Century Modern Homes in the Philadelphia Region
photographs of the regional homes designed by each architect are included
